Events and Excursions

Mission Awareness Tours – 2026

It is no small thing for two groups of teenagers to travel overseas to Thailand and Vanuatu for two weeks to experience countries of which they have barely any knowledge.  But to see the way the two groups of Year 10 students bonded to form such unified teams, and then stepped up so admirably while they were on mission, can only fill one with joy.  Joy that our God can truly raise a new generation of young souls that are devoted to Him, willing to share His love, and able to make a real difference in the lives of people in such far-away places.

Though there may have been language and cultural barriers that both teams had to deal with, the school can be proud of the way its Year 10 Mission Awareness Tour students not only adapted to the new environments they were in, but they rose up to meet the challenges head-on.  Students who may have doubted their ability to teach, found the ability to connect with young pupils in both Vanuatu and Thailand who were receptive to their energy and willingness to connect with them at a personal level.  Team members who wondered how they could forge relationships with young children who did not speak English, decided to reach out with their hearts instead and formed unbreakable bonds of love as a result.  Students who wondered whether they could make a difference on such an overseas trip gave of themselves in such a heartfelt way, even to the point of exhaustion, that those around them could not but be touched by their generosity of spirit.

Both teams carried out an incredible amount of practical teaching work in overseas schools, served with such passion in local churches and Sunday schools, and used their fundraising efforts here in Australia to make tangible and long-lasting differences to the communities they spent their time in while they were on mission.  In taking up the challenge to go overseas and serve on these short-term mission trips, these students experienced the exhilaration of seeing God at work in their lives and in the lives of people they have now grown to love in a truly deep manner.  These mission trips have left lasting spiritual imprints in the hearts, souls and minds of the students who ventured overseas, and they will have the blessing of being able to recount all the amazing things that happened on mission with one another for the rest of their lives.   The school community is blessed that we have college leaders who are truly supportive of these overseas mission awareness tours and it is hoped that the wonderful work done by the Vanuatu and Thailand mission teams in 2026, will be continued by another crop of faithful and intrepid students in 2027.

Commonwealth Games Day

Our Primary School was transformed into a vibrant celebration of culture, colour, and community during our recent Commonwealth Games Day! Students enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities, games, and challenges inspired by countries from across the Commonwealth.

Dressed in bright colours and proudly representing a variety of nations, students celebrated the spirit of friendly competition, teamwork, and respect. A highlight for many was the closing ceremony where parents and students celebrated the day.

The event was a wonderful opportunity to bring our school community together while celebrating diversity, and the values of the Commonwealth. A big thank you to our staff, students, and families for helping make the day such a memorable success. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and school spirit on display! 

Primary Young Christian Thinkers Team

It all began on a Thursday morning in March. The eight selected students gathered around the whiteboard in the Innovation classroom to hear the three guest speakers on the Zoom call. 

Mrs Kearney and Miss Krigsman came to hear some of the speakers’ presentations, and the PVCC students made us so proud as they respectfully asked insightful and intelligent questions. The organiser of this Young Christian Thinkers event, Sam Waldron from Bayside Christian College, later commented several times on our students’ engagement, fantastic, inspiring comments and courage to go first. 

The presenters challenged our thinking in many ways, but there was one speaker who stood out to our Primary Young Christian Thinkers Team. Andrew Miller from Deaf Ministries International (DMI) told us about their work in bringing the gospel, education and employment to the Deaf all around the world. Our students said they “felt upset” to learn that in some cultures, for complex reasons, some deaf children are neglected by their families and rejected by society. 

Throughout Terms One and Two, these students met weekly to work on presentations.  Team One prepared a speech and accompanying slideshow while Team Two prepared a beautiful painting with selected bible verses and a skit about the work of DMI. On Thursday 28th May, the students, our College Chaplain Isaac Addison and myself travelled to Crossway Baptist where the students presented their work and listened to many teams of likeminded students from other CEN schools, giving feedback to each other in the form of short encouraging notes at the end of each presentation. Mrs Kearney and Miss Krigsman were also able to visit and encourage the students. 

Our Primary Young Christian Thinkers enjoyed the team work and the day out, but it doesn’t end there! These students have plans to work with the Primary Senate to organise a fundraiser for DMI – stay tuned for details so you can support these students as they seek to live out their faith in this practical way.

Jennifer de Silva

Learning Extension Leader (Primary)